Noun: The mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual.

When I was growing up in the fifties and sixties, I heard a lot about the importance of developing good character. Over time, I learned that character included a wide range of personal traits that defined an individual. Among others, integrity, respect, honesty, compassion, kindness, courage and self awareness were traits that were encouraged in a person of good character. I would like to think that I learned these qualities throughout my youth from my parents, teachers, priests, coaches, scout masters and other adults and friends. But, I have also come to realize lately, that absolutely no one talks about character anymore. Is this an outdated idea, much like manners, which seems to be another thing that has completely vanished?

Old fashioned as it may seem, I had hoped that good character is something that should never be allowed to die out. So why are we so bereft of it these days? We still have good schools, churches and other institutions and people that promote what we would define as good character. Are good character traits now seen as unnecessary and a weakness? Do we need to toughen up in order to deal with the modern world. Is the struggle for daily existence something that we need to give up our good character for?

As I see it, recently, many people have now surrendered their good character to a person of no character, to someone without a single redeeming human trait and who is anxious to destroy everything that anyone with good character would hold dear. Why didn’t enough people with good character stand up and oppose this? There is now a turning point in the history of us, the moment when we of good character turned away, and decided that it didn’t matter any more. I am embarrassed and distraught that we couldn’t do more to prevent this, and horrified that we will now be living in a place without integrity, respect, honesty, compassion, kindness, courage and self awareness. It is that desolate future long predicted in dystopian literature. I used to enjoy reading about those possibilities, and to avoid them. Now, living in it will be very much less enjoyable.

Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated. As usual, Star Trek is there ahead of us.